Two Dwarves & Three Ladies Fair
by BlueberryMuffins76
Summary: Yes, another story that is technically crossover between book & movie. This is an alternate universe where Fili, Kili, & Tauriel all survive the Battle of the Five Armies. Part of it consists of the journey to find the dwarves' mother, Dis. It is my longest fanfic ever, so please bear with me! I appreciate any suggestions and comments you have! Thanks for reading!
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: This story is heavily based off the characters in both the Hobbit film directed by Peter Jackson, and of course the actual book. The only character I made up is Esmerelda. I think it was also inspired somewhat by the ABC TV series "Once Upon a Time." (Yes, I do believe Esmerelda is based off of Regina before she started trying to become good; I picture her every time I try to imagine this schoolteacher!) I'm rather indebted to all the encyclopaedia writers on Council of Elrond; I have no idea what I would do without this resource and have learned so much through it! I apologize to Legolas fans: he does not have much of a part and I have not been kind to him, but everything will be fine in the end! Nonetheless, if you are sceptical you probably won't want to read any further. _I dedicate this story to all those who join me in Fili and Kili fandom. I am sure you wonder what it would be like if these two amazing dwarf brothers did not die but survived the Battle of the Five Armies. In order to make it shorter, I have tried to give the simple basics of where we are in the film, and to tell you enough details that you can figure out the context of my changes. With that note, you shall find out the alternative ending to The Hobbit movies (and the book, if you would like to think of it that way!).

_**Author's Note: This chapter has been updated! Check for updates in the next 6 chapters soon too; probably next week before I update & I'll tell you which ones are done. And please review!**_

OoO

The wonderful sound of metal clanging against metal filled the air. An assortment of creatures, five armies in fact, waged war against each other. Elves, men, dwarves, and a solitary hobbit allied against the goblins and wargs. The atmosphere was thick with the blood spilled from all these creatures, and the ground stained deep red in many places due to the massive combat. The day seemed rather dark and dreary due to all the death everywhere.

Thorin Oakenshield had madly commanded his nephews Fili and Kili, along with their relation Dwalin, to accompany him on a foolhardy mission to kill the leader of the orc armies: Azog himself, the very one with whom Thorin was at eternal enmity. Those below the incline noticed the threesome's mad dash uphill on goats and trembled, expecting the worst outcome and dreading that they were unable to help the dwarf leader.

The brothers looked seriously at each other, fully prepared to help their uncle conquer the evil foe.

Once at the top, the party went on a search for the great white orc. Unfortunately, Azog had expected something like this to happen and was prepared for the group, staying deep within his dark and ugly caves and capturing Fili as he cautiously searched for him. A goblin held Fili at the edge of the drop, sword point digging into his back. He glanced at his brother, fear showing wildly in his eyes. He was not in pain yet but rather uncomfortable as he tried to prepare for his death. However, Kili had a plan and motioned to his brother, a move only he would recognize. Suddenly, the blonde dwarf pushed back with all his might and flipped over his captors, racing to Thorin's side. This move, of course, served to anger their foes even more and a great fight ensued. Thorin fought with his dread foe Azog, while Fili once again got separated from him and engaged the remaining orcs in battle. Kili was pushed to one side of the ridge, fighting valiantly with the goblin Bolg, the huge son of Azog and a champion warrior.

Then the lovely elf Tauriel arrived on the scene, frantically searching for her true love and calling his name. She finally spotted his struggles and made her way to him, helping him fight the evil brute and getting injured herself in the process. She crossed swords with the villain. Unable to dodge his balde fasr enough, her faced ended up scratched. The goblin pushed her and threw her to the side. A sickening crunch sounded as she hit the stone, her ribs broken.

Kili noticed she was down and took over the fight, jumping on their foe's back, giving Tauriel enough time to catch her breath and hoist herself up. The orc gained the upper hand on Kili and was about to run him through when he quickly rolled aside, the weapon harmlessly scathing the floor. Together, elf and dwarf allied against the foe, pushing him away until he fell, where Legolas took over the fight and conquered the beast. The couple collapsed, exhausted from their long fight and extensive wounds, in addition to the emotional exhaustion they experienced from seeing each other so near to death. Tauriel painfully crawled to Kili's side. "Meleth, I am here!"

"Oh Tauriel! I love you so much!" He clasped her hand and his eyes rolled closed as his body coped with the severe loss of blood by forcing him to lose consciousness. The elf followed suit, her own body severely beaten and battered.

Meanwhile, Fili battled with more orcs and once help had arrived and the enemy knew they fought for a lost cause, he engaged one last foe in one-on-one combat. They swung their weapons and, with a final burst of energy, Fili charged and knocked the head clean off the foul beast. However, the orc's large body landed on top of him, knocking him off balance and into a sharp rock. The world went dark, like being in a cave without a light and far from the entrance, and he knew no more of what went on around him.

King Thranduil approached at the end of the battle and saw Tauriel lying there on the ground, covered in blood, a mixture of her own, Kili's, and the orc's. He thought at first she was dead, then realized the life still flowed within her veins. Thus he picked her up and brought her to the healers. He noticed the faithful dwarf brothers lying there, senseless, and sent someone to fetch Fili and Kili's faintly breathing bodies.

An hour later, once the huge battle had been completely won, some elves came and gathered the wounded to tents they had set up for healing purposes. Unfortunately, Thorin Oakenshield was fatally wounded from his own battle against Azog and he survived only a few hours after the battle, thus was unable to bid his unconscious nephews his last farewell.

OoO

Several days later, the brothers finally awoke. They found themselves lying side by side in a large tent with many others who had also been seriously wounded but were expected to recover. The cloth door remained shut, which made the exact location of the tent unidentifiable at the moment, but they assumed they lay somewhere in the vicinity of Erebor.

Fili woke up first. He opened his eyes slowly and inquired, "Kili, where are you?" He, a bit unsure of where exactly he was, needed someone he knew nearby. Besides, the brothers had not been apart much ever since Kili was born, and Fili had sworn to protect his younger brother and see to it he arrived safely back to their mother, Dís.*

This statement aroused Kili, who winced as he opened his eyes into the blinding light and he answered, "I'm here next to you, but the real question is where exactly are we?"

A nearby elf came over to them. "You are at the bottom of Erebor. This tent has been set aside for some of the wounded. I and many others have been caring for you."

"We aren't at war with you anymore? Uncle Thorin was so rude to you elves. I and my brother thank you profusely for saving our lives; we shall be forever indebted to you for your kindness. Speaking of Thorin, where is he?" Fili replied, forgetting momentarily that he had watched his uncle bravely fight and go down in victory over his foe, unable to go to his aid, and that the elves had rallied with them against the goblins and their friends.

"I'm so sorry!" the elf exclaimed. "Thorin was fatally wounded in the battle and passed on a few days ago. However, the good news is we have won the war."

Their faces fell, eyes dark with sadness as they realized the man who was practically a father to them was no more. Fili reached over and squeezed his brother's arm, taking care to be gentle as to not injure either of them further. They had looked up to Thorin from childhood and knew their mentor would never return, but they could press on and tell his story to their children and grandchildren. He had been there for them ever since their own father had been killed in battle, along with their grandfather Thror, and deserved honour and respect for his leadership.

Each dwarf sat in silence as they allowed their minds to take in the sad news. They fondly recalled their first lessons in swordsmanship and how their uncle helped them pick out the most suitable weapons for both their strengths and personalities and taught them their proper use. While their mother, Dís, loved them and did her best to care for them, she appreciated that they had a male figure to whom they could look up and discuss matters which would be rather uncomfortable for her to explain. Thorin was by no means perfect and had many faults, but he loved his family and wanted to see them safe and sound in their own kingdom. The dwarves had lost a great leader who would always be remembered, preserved by the tales of his nephews.

***Look for this theme later on. I found a sweet pin on Pinterest which spoke of how no one ever expected Fili to die because he was the responsible one. It suggested he didn't need to promise to return because everyone expected he would, while the more reckless Kili needed that extra motivation to not do anything rash, to not rush into things as he was inclined to do.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: In response to a guest review, the bacon part is just simple silliness on my behalf. While this is a mostly serious story, I have no idea why I wanted to throw in something so wild. Kili is a pretty silly guy, but not that silly :P I can tell you I was inspired by eating some rather greasy bacon & thinking what a good lip balm that would make...Also, the wet dog part was heavily influence by Veggie Tales "Sweet Pea Beauty" wherein Prince Larry is jumped on by a skunk and comments that he "smells like a wet dog!" My sister thought that would be funny to put into a story, & I figured why not make it as silly as possible! (Actually I can't remember which one came first, the bacon or the wet dog, but one led to the other :P ) I don't think I do this again...But you never know! Anyway, let me know if you feel I just go way over the top & add too many irrelevant tangents like this one! (Just so you know, I'm keeping the scene anyway, silly as it may be...perhaps if I find a better place for it I might take it out...But no guarantees!)**

**2. A Second Proposal**

Tauriel was strong and woke up the day after the battle, in pain but ready to get up. "Oh!" she moaned softly. An attendant immediately appeared by her side.

"Tauriel? Are you awake?" she inquired.

"I think so! Please, tell me where is the dwarf Kili? Does he still live?" the elf maid, anxious to know the fate of the man she now realized she loved, was on pins and needles as she awaited her reply.

"I am not sure. If you will promise to stay in this bed, I will check with the other healers and see if I can find out for you." The nurse had a kindly attitude and surmised the two were in love. She quickly exited the tent and returned a few minutes later, a big smile on her face. "They tell me he was wounded but appears to be recovering nicely."

"When can I see him? Will you take me now?" Tauriel was ecstatic to learn that Kili lived.

"I am afraid that will have to wait. You only just woke up a few minutes ago and need to rest so you can recover your strength." The elf was firm but kind, and Tauriel knew better than to argue. So she held her peace for two more days. Thus when she was finally allowed to leave, Tauriel immediately went to the tent in which she knew the dwarf brothers were staying. She hesitantly called at the entrance, "Hello! May I come in?"

An elf came out, "Whom do you wish to see?"

"May I please speak with the dwarf Kili?"

"Let me make sure everyone is decent in there and then I shall let you in. He and his brother awoke a few hours ago and may be resting, but rousing them a little bit won't hurt. They are both strong and should recover quickly."

The elf hurried into the tent and soon returned, beckoning Tauriel inside. She immediately ran to Kili's side, gently brushing a wayward strand of hair out of his face as she knelt beside him. "Kili, Meleth, it is she who walks in starlight!"

Kili opened his eyes instantly. "Can it really be? Or am I dreaming?"

"Yes, Meleth, this is real! I am here!" the elf maid could hardly contain her bliss at the sight of her true love, alive and in the process of being well. The smile on her face radiated from her like the stars shine from the night sky, and the dwarf's mouth tipped upward in like manner.

Kili did the only thing he could do: he cupped her face in his hands and gently kissed her on the lips. She tasted of bacon. "Tauriel? You taste like bacon!"

She laughed. "What a thing to say when we are just reunited! Yes, I ate some bacon, which was rather greasy, before I came over here and decided to rub the grease on my poor chapped lips. I have some extra; would you like some?"

Kili chuckled softly. "I am famished! I would love some!"

So they rather unromantically ate bacon together, then kissed again, and this time both tasted like bacon! They relished in the embrace, forgetting about everyone else. In fact, he was so enthralled that he failed to notice her use of the elvish word "meleth", which means "love", something which the dwarf knew not. "Tauriel, I know you are an elf and I a dwarf…Oh, this is so hard to ask!" He had forgotten his proposal in dwarvish by the river banks; it felt so long ago, so unreal!

She responded by stopping him and sniffing the air. "Kili, do you smell something strange?"

Wrinkling his nose, he breathed deeply. Then he sniffed his armpit and almost fell over. "Yuck! I think I found it! It's me! It is like the smell of a wet dog!"

Tauriel laughed softly, holding in her mirth as best she could but not succeeding. "You do stink like a wet dog! You need a bath!"

"I'm sorry!" he chuckled with her. "I suppose being injured like this it is rather hard to bathe, especially since I haven't been awake that long."

"That's alright! I only just got a bath last night. I love you despite your stench!" She smiled lovingly at him.

"Oh dear! Let us get back to the task at hand. May I ask an important question, serious this time?"

"Meleth, do not fear. Ask me anything! I care not that you are a dwarf. King Thranduil has had a change of heart and is no longer as opposed to dwarves as he was. He saw the bravery of all your companions on the battlefield and knew he had missed out on some worthy friends. So whatever you want to ask, it is fine." She secretly hoped he would propose, since she had already declared her love for him. His question suited her longings just fine.

"Will you marry me?" Kili was a bit embarrassed to ask this, since they had never properly courted and had a very strange relationship, but he knew this was true love and had to try for it. Additionally, his proposal had gone awry from the start, not a bit like the romantic setting he once had in mind.

"Of course I will marry you! After we both completely recover, of course. And yes, I will live with you wherever you want. The Elvenking can find another to replace me; I am not necessary to his army. Besides, I may still be banished; after all, I have defied my own king so often that I deserve to be completely excommunicated!" Tauriel wanted her love to guide her and knew she had to stay with Kili wherever he wished and she would gladly sacrifice her wants for his. Unbeknownst to her, he felt likewise; their memories of the fight blurred and explained their fuzzy thoughts leading up to their unconsciousness.

"Tauriel, my sweet, I love you! We shall talk about living arrangements later. But first, a certain brother of mine will be most unhappy to know he snored through my proposal!" The couple shared yet another bit of mirth and then proceeded to awaken Fili.

"So you two finally realized you should get married?" he winked at them and slapped his brother playfully on the back. "I am so happy for you, my dear brother."

However, Fili realized that he also desired love, yet he had no one in his life he would even consider at this point. Even though he enjoyed being with the elves, he did not want to marry one; that was just fine for his brother, though.

It was not long before the threesome were recovered enough to leave the camp. They decided to go and find Kili's mother after their marriage; he had promised to return to her and of course was excited to able to do that with his brand new wife in tow. Then they would stay at Erebor for a time and help the newly crowned king, Dain, restore the kingdom. Fili and Kili were actually the rightful heirs of the throne after Thorin, being his nephews, but neither of them truly wanted the throne and they would have to rule jointly if at all. One brother ruling over the other simply would not do. Thus Dain, a hero of the great battle, became king as the next in line to the throne, a much better choice in their opinions anyway. He had a far more leader-ly disposition, unwilling to let anyone stand in the way of his kingdom and proudly exerting his authority over others.

Tauriel wanted to be married in her home of Mirkwood, so they made plans to visit there. She was a bit worried about Legolas, however. She knew he fancied himself in love with her, even if his father had never approved, and was afraid he would take her marriage very hard. She liked him and had sometimes thought she could love him, but after she met and got to know Kili, she knew the dwarf was the man for her. Besides, dwarves are not immortal; they live much longer than humans and hobbits, yet several hundred years is the best they can give. Being a full-blooded elf meant immortality, and she had no choice in the matter. True love even with just a few years is better than none at all; Tauriel certainly thought so. Legolas would wait until she was widowed, then after a few hundred years she might be ready to remarry. Additionally, Legolas was still a little immature for an elf, likely because Thranduil spoiled him a little. Being an only child usually leads to that consequence, especially since Thranduil's wife, Arabesque, had died tragically a few centuries after Legolas was born, something from which the Elvenking only now began to recover.


	3. Chapter 3

**3. Resettling Dale**

Esgaroth, or Lake-Town, lay in charred ruins, the aftermath of Smaug's mad rage. Those who dwelled there found no suitable buildings to even take some respite in. In fact, the damage to the city made it practically impossible to rebuild, especially as its location did not allow for easy access; after all, building on a lake with the best access being by boat only means a difficult time in making repairs. Thus they were forced to leave their only home, becoming nomads until other accommodations could be made. Upon reflection, Bard and the other survivors decided to go to Dale and evaluate its state; perhaps they could dwell there, as they had to flee from the great dragon before they all were killed anyway. Dale was also destroyed by Smaug long ago when Bard's great-grandfather Girion ruled the fair citadel; the remaining inhabitants had fled to various portions of middle earth and left the great dragon to his mountain in relative peace, since he seemed unconquerable. Bard's companions persistently asked him to be their new leader, yet at first Bard wanted nothing to do with being a more permanent leader for his people.

"I am not fit to rule! I simply shot down Smaug out of love for my own children and my fellow citizens. I had to do what my great-grandfather could not: save his people. I have now fulfilled my duty and rescued you from the clutches of a vile, fiery worm. If the winds had not been in the right place and I had been unaware of the dragon's weakness, none of us would be standing here today. Knowing that his evil is no more is enough reward for me," the man insisted, reluctant to take on a leadership position because he felt extremely unsure about his abilities to rule.

Many arguments and points were made about how Bard's unsurety made him all the better to rule them; their past leader was so consumed with himself and how great he thought he was that his rule only served to anger his people once they realized his personal goals. Thus the townsfolk eventually won him over and he became the King of Dale, which meant his children were royals as well, albeit without a queen. His wife died during childbirth and he never remarried, nor did he desire to do so. In fact, many women pursued him in this manner, but he effectively told each one of them he only had one true love and she was already gone; he could never bring himself to have another. Instead, he poured his life and love into caring for his children, whom he raised to be obedient and helpful, especially Sigrid. As the eldest at sixteen, the task of caring for the younger children, as well as the housework, fell to her while their father was out earning a living. Things would get better for them once Dale was fully rebuilt and established. However, until that time all three children worked beside their father and their people to repair the damage Smaug inflicted, a long and arduous process but worth the finished results of a strong fortress.

Sigrid, a hard worker, longed for something more to her life, in particular a man of her own whom she could love and cherish, have and hold 'til death parted them. While she loved her family and enjoyed caring for them, she was growing up and needed to be able to find her own place in the world apart from her family. Actually, she fancied the gentleman that could make that happen to be a certain dwarf who had been invited into her home some time ago. At first Sigrid held them as simply stinky beggars whom she had to be compassionate towards because Bard had befriended him; what woman in her right mind would want fourteen strange males wandering free in her house, which was crowded enough as it was? Then she got to know them a little better and grew to appreciate their gruff and uncouth ways, some more so than others.

The young lady especially noticed how Fili's staunch dedication to his brother, even before Kili became deathly ill with his orc wound. Anyone who insisted on staying with his brother, sacrificing his own hopes and dreams, held the marks of a true man. Besides, she thought Fili rather handsome, in a rough-around-the-edges sort of way, and wanted to know him better. She was sixteen, after all, perfectly old enough to marry and have her own household; she certainly had enough experience with caring for her home and younger siblings.

Everyone thought Sigrid was the loveliest girl in the town, although she never agreed; the people had never really seen any elves, certainly not Galadriel or Arwen, and so did not know these two were the fairest of them all. But in human terms, she would give these elf ladies a run for their money. While she never fancied herself beautiful, she hoped the eyes of a certain dwarf would see what others appeared to see in her. Thus she took great care to make her wardrobe presentable, which unfortunately consisted of only the dress she wore; everything else had been destroyed either by fire or water, tragically unsalvageable and likely gone forever. It was a plain brown dress in a simple cut, with long sleeves and a high neckline, and reached down to her ankles. She washed it out in the middle of the night so no one would see and then rubbed it with fresh lavender; since little could be done to improve its looks, at least she could make it smell nice. Her hair, an entirely different matter, could be braided and gussied up with some fresh flowers, which she took great pains to achieve. Hoping her hard work would pay off, she glanced at herself in the water every time she went to fetch more, preening and ensuring she looked the best she could.

Meanwhile, a shadowed figured watched Sigrid as she went back and forth from the river. Her raven locks blew in the wind as she peaked through her window at Bard's home with her emerald eyes. She had noticed the dwarves when they first arrived in Esgaroth and her curiosity about them overwhelmed any sense of propriety she may have had. Now that her home had been destroyed, she needed something other than her job as a schoolteacher to help her survive and rebuild her life; she hoped Bard's mysterious guests would return from their quest and somehow make her life better.

After all, surely if one had become rich from the treasures laid up in the mountain, she could unquestionably snag one with her beauty. In fact, she fancied herself the most beautiful woman in the entire world, although in Lake-Town she had always been placed second only to Sigrid, which is part of why she despised the young woman. Unfortunately, she had one leg that was shorter than the other. However, no one ever noticed because she had the cobbler hold her secret; he made her special shoes, with the sole being higher on her shorter leg. She was thusly able to walk without limping and her long skirts hid the odd-looking footwear. The cobbler, paid extremely well, agreed to keep her secret as long as she did him favours and brought her business only to him, something to which she readily agreed.

Since she had a few years on Sigrid and her beauty was renowned (after all, her looks were more mature than young Sigrid, only available for two years now), she had had hundreds of marriage proposals but refused each one because they did not meet her standards in any area. Her actions, however, showed Sigrid to be the more mature of the two because she was content with her state in life, even if she longed for something better, but the schoolteacher would stop at nothing to improve her life, even if it meant killing someone, which she had yet to do. Women like this see no need for a man and want to be self-sufficient, although they do sometimes admit having a significant male in one's life can be fun and helpful; this woman was no exception. The more she contemplated, the more convinced she became that securing a dwarf would lead her to a life of luxury and contentment.

Esmerelda (for that was her name, in part for her emerald green eyes, and now fit her rather jaded and jealous personality) recalled the day she first discovered why the dwarves came to her hometown. Unable to curb her curiosity any longer, she baked some bread and took a loaf to Bard's home. She knew from her spying that the younger two children were the only ones home and worked quickly to get to them before Bard and Sigrid returned. The siblings let her in, since she was their teacher, and she pelted them with questions about the dwarves. "Children, you have had some interesting house guests! Could you tell me about them? Who is their leader?"

They were only too happy to tell her about these strange creatures. "Da found them down the river and hid them in some barrels to get them here!" Tilda, the youngest, piped up, then gasped as she realized she had revealed a secret.

"It's all right, child, I will not share your secret. Tell me more!" The schoolteacher could barely contain her excitement at their loose lips.

Bain spoke up next. "Thorin Oakenshield is their leader and he wants to take back the Lonely Mountain from the great dragon Smaug. He is the rightful king there and his two nephews, Fili and Kili, are next in line and extremely devoted to him and each other. The rest of the dwarves and the hobbit, Bilbo, seem to be along only for moral support and extra hands in battle."

Wow! Exactly what she wanted to know! "Thank you for your help, children! Here is some bread for you and your family. I am afraid I must leave now and I shall see you both in school tomorrow!"

"Thank you!" they innocently replied, unaware of the murderous plot beginning inside Esmerelda's head.

However, she did not expect the dragon to destroy her lovely home, nor the Battle of the Five Armies. The schoolteacher spoke to Bard's children again after this event and found out some valuable information. They had to tell her that Thorin was killed in battle and someone named Dain became king in his stead. Rather disappointed that the chief dwarf died, she was also wary of the new king. She heard tales of his massive size and great bravery and ended up rather frightened of him; how would she get him out of her way? So she immediately set her sights on Thorin's nephews, who could get her inside that mountain to plot how to take it over for herself. She learned of Kili's injury and decided against him; besides, he was a brunette, much too common in her part of the world. So that left Fili, the handsome blonde dwarf. She knew she had to have him and immediately started plotting a wedding: she would soon be Empress Esmerelda of Erebor – whoa, did that name sound good! She also failed to realize that Fili technically was first in line for the throne anyway as the oldest. Since she planned to pursue him, this information would not have mattered in the slightest except to further her plots to gain his hand in marriage.

Things only got more complicated when Bard was proclaimed the king of Dale. Esmerelda always liked him romantically and had been one of the women who openly pursued him. When he did not accept her advances, she quickly gave up after only a few short months. Besides, his hair was quite dark, even if he was a handsome man. And his children! Despite being a schoolteacher, she did not want her own children and always breathed a sigh of relief when the kids left the schoolhouse each day. Thankfully Bard's brood were always well-behaved in her classroom. But things were about to change between the schoolteacher and Sigrid, who had got along splendidly until the younger's beauty surpassed the older's.


	4. Chapter 4

**4. A Brief Visit**

Fili, Kili, and Tauriel chose to stop in Dale before heading to Mirkwood to thank Bard and his family personally for helping them. They had not been able to speak much due to all the chaos of battles and recovering from their wounds, not to mention the massive rebuilding the men undertook to restore Dale. Fortunately, the whole family was home when they stopped by.

Sigrid answered the door. "Fili, Kili, and Lady Tauriel! It's so good to see you! Do come in! Have you recovered well?" She noticed the now faint scratch mark on Tauriel's face and realized all three visitors had likely been scathed in some or another fashion during the battle.

Kili figured the young lady worried about him especially, since she had helped during his former injury, so he answered. "Well, we were all declared well enough to leave, and I think all of us feel much better, especially Tauriel and I."

"I'm glad. Would you like a cup of tea?"

"Tea sounds lovely!" Fili replied. He thought it strange that she looked at him as she said all this with some strange expression on her face that reminded him of something…he had no idea what but hoped it would come to him soon so he could figure her out. Were all women so hard to read, or just humans? He really had little experience with females of any type and found them a great mystery.

Tauriel took the lead. "We have come to thank you for all you have done! Children, you were so hospitable to the dwarves when they came to you father for help! Especially with my dear Kili; I am so excited to tell you we are engaged and shall be married when we arrive in Mirkwood!"

"Oh my! I'm so happy for you!" Sigrid threw her arms around Tauriel in a sound hug; she was quite surprised but hugged her back. "I just knew the minute I saw you two together that you were destined for each other! It's so romantic!"

Meanwhile, Kili was about ready to barf from all this romantic talk. Fili found it all quite humorous and was having trouble holding back his laughter.

"Anyway," Tauriel continued, "Bard is our new hero! Without you, good would never have triumphed over evil and Smaug could still be roaming about, devouring whomever he wished. Please, send word to Mirkwood if you are ever in need of assistance. And if you have trouble with them, just mention my name. I do need to tell you King Thranduil is also greatly indebted to you. He has long wished the worm dead and you have done this!"

"You are quite welcome! I was only doing what I thought best to save my family and my city. As for caring for you dwarves, I have to apologize for not being a better host! I thought you might bring harm to my family after a while, even though my first intentions were to care for those so desperately in need, which I would want done for me if I were ever in such a situation." Bard remained humble, embarrassed at all the fuss made over him and growing rather tired of it.

Sigrid popped up. "The tea is ready! Will you sit with us please? I had just baked some cookies and will share them as well."

"I don't mind if we do!" Fili replied cheekily. All of a sudden, the young lady did something inside him that made him so happy. He found himself dreaming about knowing her better, courting her, and when he got to the wedding, he had to shake himself out of it. Then it hit him: the look she gave him was the exact same look Tauriel had for Kili! Sigrid fancied herself in love with him! And he was quickly falling for her as well. She was a lovely maiden, short for a human but really only about a half inch shorter than he. That suited him just fine; his brother could have a tall wife, but he would have problems with that. How is a wife supposed to respect her husband if he is much shorter? Not to mention Tauriel was an elf, which meant she would eventually be widowed. But if Fili married a human, he'd likely become a widower since humans do not live as long as dwarves, or even hobbits (unless they are the Dunedain, which Bard and his family were not). Was true love really worth the pain in the end? Kili and Tauriel obviously thought so, and Fili found he did as well. Now if only he could figure out how to tell this to Bard! He decided that sooner was better than later.

"Bard, could I speak with you alone, please?" he asked. Kili raised his eyebrows at him, silently asking what he was up to, but Fili simply grinned.

"I suppose so, but it does need to be quick. There is so much that needs to be done before everything is fully put to rights!"

"I understand."

The dwarf and man went off for a private conversation. "So, about what do you wish to speak?" Bard inquired.

"Your beautiful daughter Sigrid, sir. I think I am falling in love with her and would like to ask your blessing on our courtship. I promise she shall never lack for anything she needs and I shall cherish her all her days."

"What?!" Bard was in shock. "I have had hundreds of men ask for her hand in marriage already, but never a dwarf. I am honestly not sure how to take this! Will you let me think a minute?"

"Of course! Take all the time you need."

Bard walked away, deep in thought. He came back a few minutes later, decision made, to a very expectant and slightly nervous Fili.

"I have decided that if Sigrid agrees, you may have a two-year courtship. If at that time she wishes to marry you, I extend my warmest blessings. I saw how bravely you fought, trying to save your uncle. If you can be that dedicated to a wife, you will make a wonderful husband. I only wish my dear wife had been able to meet you; she would have loved you and all your companions. She always longed to go on adventures and meet persons from faraway lands."

Fili was as ecstatic as a male dwarf could be. So he threw his arms around Bard, hugging him. Bard was surprised but returned the embrace. "Thank you so much! I want to tell Sigrid right now!" With that, he rushed back to Bard's house.

Fili burst in the door like a madman, a crazy and happy grin on his face, making him look quite ridiculous. "Sigrid! Could you step out with me for a few minutes?"

The young lady was a bit confused but obliged him. "Ok…" she answered hesitantly. "Let me grab my cloak and then we shall talk."

They stepped outside together and Fili led her to a fallen rock wall at the edge of the city, where they sat down together. He turned towards her, "Sigrid, I have just been talking with your father."

"Yes?" she replied, totally confused now.

"I asked if I could court you, and he gave his blessing. However, the final decision is up to you."

"Wait, you want to court me?" Why would a dwarf want to court a human?

"Exactly! I did say that, didn't I?"

"Yes, I suppose you did! Of course I will let you court me! But tell me, why out of all the women in this world would you choose me? You could have had a lovely elf like your brother."

"I don't want an elf! I want you! I think you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, surpassing the beauty of an elf by far. You are kind and compassionate and did not insist you father turn us away in our need, even though I am sure it was very uncomfortable for you to have to put up with us like that. Actually, I may even be falling in love with you!"

"I don't know what to say! Thank you!" Sigrid experienced some shyness now, but she understood exactly how the dwarf felt. "I do admit it was a bit awkward to have so many men in the house all at once, but I knew you needed us."

"Sigrid, I have not told you something; our courtship will have to be on hold for at least a year, probably longer." He anxiously awaited her reaction, literally on the edge of his seat.

"Fili, why?" her eyes looked up at him sadly.

"I would like to see my Mother again. She was last seen in the Blue Mountains, and Kili promised to return to her. One of us cannot return without the other; you know, she would be quite worried and disappointed." Then, a thought hit him. "Sigrid, what if you joined us? Tauriel will be with us and married to Kili then, so it would not be horribly inappropriate. Do you think your father would allow such a thing? As much as I desire to be with you, I am afraid until we are wed she must come first, especially since Kili and I are her only male kinfolk left who could even help her, if she needs it."

"Fili, that makes me want to know you even better. Of course you must see your mother! I shall ask Father right away if I may join you; I have always wanted to travel but have never had the opportunity, what with Mother being gone all these years. I have practically had to raise Bain and Tilda. Now why don't we get back to the others so they do not worry! From the looks Kili was giving you, he is likely to be quite suspicious!"

They laughed and headed back towards her home, certain their courtship would go splendidly. As expected, their return was met with more suspicious looks from Kili, a smirk from Tauriel, and a hint of sadness on Bard's end. Sigrid approached him and hugged him, something she usually did not do unless she wanted something. "Da, may I speak with you a moment?"

"Yes; everyone wants my solitary attention these days!" he laughed and led his precious daughter away.

"Da, Fili asked to court me and I said yes. He also said that he's planned a trip to the Blue Mountains to see his mother again He asked if I could join him; Tauriel and Kili will be married then, and the four of us would travel together."

Bard inhaled sharply then released the breath. "Sigrid, I just don't know. You have been such a help all these years without your mother, so I am not sure what we would do without you. However, I realize I will have to let you go sooner or later. What do you want to do, dearest daughter?"

"Da, you know I love you and Bain and Tilda very much and I have no idea what I would do without you. Yet a part of my heart has always longed to go places, meet new people and see new scenery. I would enjoy joining Fili, even if I know the way will be hard and I will miss you all greatly."

Bard held his eldest child close. "Sigrid, you have spent much of your childhood working when you should have been playing, being a mother when you were barely more than a child yourself. As much as I wish you would stay, I feel the rest of us can care for ourselves. After all, one day we will need to know how to live without you, especially if Fili loves you the way I think he does!"

Sigrid could hardly contain her joy. "Thank you so much, Da! I love you!" She held him tightly for a minute, then they went back to share the news with everyone else. Going straight to Fili, she whispered in his ear, "Da agreed to let me join you! But I want to tell Bain and Tilda in private; they will be upset. Do you mind getting the others out of the house, then I can join you at dawn tomorrow?"

His soft breath tickled her ear as he responded, sending a tingle down her spine unlike anything she had ever felt before. "I shall try my best! I am so happy!" He turned to his companions, "Now that our business is taken care of, I say we should be on our way soon to pack so we start our travels early tomorrow."

The couple eyed him questionably, wondering why he seemed so eager to leave all of a sudden, but they agreed to go & took their leave.

Then Sigrid knew she had to break the news to her siblings. "Bain, Tilda, I have something I must tell you…" she started nervously, unsure of how they would take to the idea.

"Sigrid, what's wrong?" Bain inquired, concern filling his eyes.

"I shall be going on a rather long trip, a journey lasting a least a year, likely longer than that."

"No!" Tilda cried, throwing herself on her big sister. "You can't leave us!"

Sigrid embraced her and cradled the back of her head in a motherly manner. "There, there, Tilda. You know I will not stay with you all forever; I do want to get married sometime, which means moving out with my husband. Speaking of which, Fili asked to court me and I said yes! I hope to marry him after we return!"

Tilda still was not convinced that her sister should leave, but Bain, old enough to understand Sigrid's longing to travel, sympathized with her. "Sigrid, if you want to go we will miss you, but I know how you long to see Mirkwood palace and the places beyond." He joined the embrace, so all three siblings snuggled together.

"Thank you for understanding, Bain. I love you both very much; you know that, right?" Tilda nodded, as did their brother. They spent some quality family time the rest of the night while Sigrid prepared for her long journey, full of excitement with a twinge of trepidation; she had never been away from home before, and it would be strange to travel with those who were practically strangers for such a long time!


	5. Chapter 5

_To my readers, thank you for your comments! I will warn you that if you are a Legolas fan you might not appreciate this chapter, but I promise everything will work out for him in the end, which will unfortunately take until about chapter 18 or 19 or so (I think it will have 21 chapters when I'm completely finished, but I still have a bit more of the end to work on). And please, if I am being way too romantic & you're getting tired of all the sappiness, I really would like to know! Having two cuoples is way too much fun!_

**5. Sweet & Sour**

A lone figure watching from her window was turning green, eager to ensure the upcoming relationship would turn sour quickly and jealous that someone else had gotten to her dwarf first. That simply would not do. Esmerelda had noticed the dwarf and Sigrid go to the edge of the city together and suspected they were falling in love. She had to figure out a way to stop them! The other dwarf already had an elf and she did not want to tangle with him, so this blonde one was her only hope. She hated to admit it, but Sigrid was a lovely maiden; no wonder a dwarf would fall for her. Yet surely she could have had her pick of any other unattached male in the world! So she would have to break them up and turn this dwarf towards herself, proving that Esmerelda was the woman of his dreams, not Sigrid.

Not long afterwards, the schoolteacher noticed the two dwarves and elf leaving Bard's house. "Now is my chance!" she thought. "I shall go and talk to the dwarf and see if I can sway his affections towards me. I just hope the other dwarf and elf aren't suspicious!"

The schoolmarm made her way outside. "Good day!" she greeted the trio. "I am Esmerelda, the schoolteacher here in Dale. I just wanted to thank you all for your bravery in defeating that evil dragon! You helped save my people, even if Esgaroth is a total waste and here in Dale there are still lots of needed repairs."

"You are welcome!" Tauriel replied for the three. "I am Tauriel, and this is my fiancé Kili and his brother Fili. We are planning to help King Dain with Erebor after Kili and I are wed and visit his mother. I wish we could help you here as well!"

"That is quite understandable! Your place is with your own people!" she smiled cunningly. "Would you all like to come in and have some tea?"

"No thank you!" Tauriel answered again. "We have just finished tea with Bard and really must leave soon. Thank you for the offer! Perhaps the next time we are through town we shall stop in." With that, she effectively finished the conversation and they went on their way.

"Tauriel!" Kili exclaimed as soon as they were out of ear shot. "Why did you take over like that?"

She snuggled against his side. "I really have no idea! I feel something strange is going on with that woman, but what I do not know. I felt an instant dislike for her, something I have with few people. I think we should watch out for her, not that we will be here long. But perhaps it is nothing; maybe my nerves about marriage are making me think I see things that are not there!"

Kili nuzzled her nose. "I certainly hope so, my love! Now I suppose we should prepare for our trip; we have a long journey ahead of us and I, for one, would like to see Mother again sooner rather than later."

"Amen" Fili heartily agreed. Thus the threesome gathered their things to head first for Mirkwood, then the long trek to the Blue Mountains, or Ered Luin.

At dawn the next morning, the two dwarves and lone elf met at Bard's house to get Sigrid. She answered their knock bags in hand, looking both sad and excited at the same time, a strange mixture of emotions. Tauriel pulled her into a hug, knowing she needed the female comfort and companionship. "You do not have to join us if you do not want to. The decision is entirely up to you."

"I know. As much as I hate to leave my family, my curiosity about the world outside of Dale and Esgaroth has won! Just let me say goodbye to my family one last time, and I shall be ready." She probably took a few more minutes than necessary, but the rest of her companions understood her dilemma and refrained from mentioning it. Thus was the beginning of their journey.

Several hours later, the quartet found themselves on their way to Mirkwood. Tauriel was glad of some female companionship, even if she did not really need it as much as other women do. They had the best time discussing the wedding plans. It would be a simple affair, barely more than an elopement.

Fili and Kili also got in some male bonding. They had missed their carefree lives and were glad to have things closer to normal. They had matured through their long and tedious journey and were not the boys they used to be.

A couple of days later, they arrived in Mirkwood. As they approached the bridge and gates to the castle, Tauriel realized something. She grabbed Kili's arm, "Meleth, I think I might still be banished from Mirkwood palace! What should we do?"

The dwarf smiled at her, "I suggest we request to be let in and see how it goes from there!"

The guards, who had known of their approach for some time, opened the gates and the quartet was escorted in with no problem.

The Elvenking himself greeted them. "Tauriel, Kili, Fili! Welcome back! And who is this with you?"

Tauriel pushed a shy Sigrid forward. "This is Sigrid, Bard's eldest daughter. We believed her to be in danger and brought her so we can give her the protection she needs. And she and Fili are now officially courting!"

"Congratulations! You are a lovely young lady and I am sure just what young Fili needs. You are welcome in my courts as long as you wish; your father has been quite kind to my people."

"King Thranduil, I need to speak with you privately for a moment. Kili, excuse us please? I will call for you soon! Um, am I still banished?" Tauriel inquired, wanting his blessing on their marriage.

"Of course you may speak with me! And no, I shall lift your banishment for now, as long as you refrain from threatening me again," he winked, knowing she had learned her lesson. She smiled, grateful that the handsome ruler of Mirkwood had finally lightened up a bit and had mercy on her.

The Elvenking and his guard walked away into the throne room.

"Now, of what do you wish to speak?" Thranduil inquired.

"Kili and I desire to be wed, and I would like your blessing."

"You have it! Tauriel, thank you for your faithful service to me. Once you are widowed, if you desire your job back you shall have it. Besides, I think having you away for a time will be good for Legolas. He still believes he has feelings for you, of which you know I do not approve. However, in a few centuries I may reconsider. Legolas needs to mature before he takes a wife, and I suppose if he were to choose any maiden it might as well be you. You are a brave warrior and would do well at his side. Not to mention you have almost always been loyal to me, even if you have challenged my authority from time to time." Here he tried to glare at her but ended up smiling, fondly recalling her younger and more rebellious days, even up until the point where she threatened to kill him after he had been forced to banish her for a time. "So I wish my highest blessings on you and Kili. If you need anything at all, let me know and I shall provide it."

"Thank you! I do agree that this will be good for Legolas. I know he shall be extremely upset with me, but in time he will get over it. As much as I like your son, you know I have never loved him quite in the way he wishes. Now could Kili come in? I want to have the wedding here and we both need to be present."

"By all means send him in!" Thranduil felt quite charitable today. Although he hated to lose such a fine soldier, he knew she posed as a downfall for his dear son at this time and was more than happy to allow her to leave for a while. The threesome talked about the marriage ceremony and all was settled in record time. Upon their exit of the throne room, Legolas met them (he had recently returned home to gather supplies for a journey to meet with the Dúnedain; Thranduil thought it would do him good to get out of Mirkwood for an indefinite amount of time).

"Tauriel!" How good to see you again!" he smiled and embraced her, then shot Kili a killer glare behind her back, unbeknownst to her. The Ruler of Mirkwood watched the interaction in the background, wondering exactly how his son would react and almost dreading it, even though he knew it was for the best.

"Thank you, Legolas! I have wonderful news! Kili and I are getting married!" the excitement in her tone lit up her whole face, but the Elvenprince did not agree with her reaction.

"What!?" Legolas' anger was now obvious. "Tauriel, I demand to see you at once, _alone_."

"Kili, Meleth, will you excuse us please?" her exasperation obvious, she looked at her fiancé apologetically.

Kili sighed, knowing his true love would remain loyal to him despite his misgivings about the other elf. "Only if you promise not to touch that elf! She is mine, and you cannot have her! Unless, of course, she changes her mind about me."

Tauriel had a hard time suppressing a laugh, as did the Elvenking as he faded into the background. She loved how protective he was! "I promise!" She gave him a tender kiss and went off with her friend.

"Tauriel, how could you do this to me?" Legolas barely waited until they were out of earshot for this outburst. "You know I love you and plan to marry you, despite what my Ada says."

"Legolas, Kili and I love each other. Our love is strong and true. I do not feel this kind of love towards you, and I daresay you only think you feel it for me. If you truly loved me, you would be willing to let me be with my true love. Real, pure love is not possessive but rather seeks the good of the other, not itself. On top of this, you still need to mature. You are not yet ready for marriage."

"But Tauriel, I do love you that way! Then that dwarf came in and spoiled everything!"

"That statement proves my point even more. I would rather spend a few centuries with him than a lifetime regretting losing him. Kili will not live forever. Perhaps after I have been a widow for a few centuries you will have your chance again. However, now is Kili's time. Legolas, you have been a dear friend to me and I wish you the best. Please, I wish to part as friends. You have stood faithfully by my side against so many foes! I will always consider you my friend."

Legolas let out a rather uncouth snort. He marched back into the room where Kili awaited. Standing practically nose to nose, the angry elf confronted the dwarf, again much to Tauriel's amusement. "Kili, son of Dís, I hereby challenge you to a duel over this lovely maiden's hand in marriage. You may choose the weapons and place."

Unable to resist, Kili took the challenge. "I accept! We shall use broad blade swords in the great hall."

Legolas gathered the weapons from the armoury and chose his father for his second, and the dwarf asked his brother to stand by his side.

The Elvenking, a bit embarrassed at his son's immaturity yet willing to allow him to undertake this foolhardy skirmish, regally began the fight after appearing from somewhere in the background. "On the count of three, you may begin. One, two, three!"

Metal clashed against metal, the sound ringing in the onlookers' ears as they watched the dwarf and elf circle each other and cross swords. They dodged and lashed out, each effectively evading the other's moves. However, all was lost for Legolas when he glanced away to flash a smile at Tauriel. Kili used that moment to come upon him and with one stroke of his blade, he knocked the sword from his opponent's hand.

Legolas gasped. "You won?" He could hardly believe his bad luck.

Tauriel chose to ignore the immature reaction and rushed to her fiancé. "Kili, Meleth, I am so proud of you! Now you can marry me with a clear conscience!" She winked brazenly at him and then kissed him soundly. Then Legolas approached, utterly defeated and quite dismal.

"Tauriel, you are right, as usual. We have been through much together. I shall remain your friend, but do not expect me to ever like that dwarf of yours. However, I must respect your decision to take him over me and know I cannot change your mind." He tenderly hugged her for the last time, then, heartbroken, returned to his chambers to think about the events. He needed some solitary time, with only his elf-cat, Remmirath, as a comforting companion, in order to process the sad turn of fate. The feline would serve as both a stoic constant and a reliever of the anger he held deep within himself. Perhaps finding the Rangers would do him good; he would be in different surroundings with new people, and he hoped nothing would remind him of his home and the sadness it bore within its stone walls.

Tauriel parted and returned to her fiancé, greatly distressed that Legolas was so upset but not knowing anything else she could do to help him. She needed to forget him for a time a focus on her dwarf.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Sorry about the delay in posting a new chapter! I hope to be able to do about one a week. So please sit tight and keep up with the comments!**_

**6. Married at Last**

The wedding was held a few days later under the beautiful starlight. Dressed in a simple green robe, Tauriel presented a lovely picture. Kili could finally watch her really and truly walk in the starlight as she had told him she did, and it was certainly a sight to behold! Tauriel thought he looked as handsome as ever in a simple brown tunic and pants set. Fili was the best man and Sigrid the maid of honour. Legolas could not bring himself to attend (he stayed in his room to brood and pet his cat, which suited the feline just fine; he had not gotten nearly enough attention lately and missed his master), but King Thranduil agreed to officiate the ceremony. Two guards stood by as witnesses. The happy couple said their vows and shared the most tender and sweet kiss yet, looking forward to the joys of married life.

After a short honeymoon of three days within the halls of the palace, the quartet was ready to seek Fili and Kili's mother. She was last located in the Blue Mountains, well beyond Mirkwood, the Misty Mountains, and even the Shire. Their journey would be long and hard, but Kili had to return to his mother because he had promised. Besides, she would be thrilled to learn both her boys were either married or in the process of getting there; she longed for grandchildren, someone to carry on their family legacy since Thorin never saw fit to marry. Tauriel loved how the dwarves remained dedicated to their only living family and chose to keep their promises, no matter how much of a journey it meant for everyone; they expected it to take at least a year to get there and back, perhaps longer.

The men were not worried about themselves or even Tauriel, but Sigrid had spent her whole life in Esgaroth so they were concerned about her making the trip.

"Sigrid, our journey to the Blue Mountains will take around a year or so, and that is if we are lucky and do not run into too many problems. There are still spiders in Mirkwood and orcs in the Misty Mountains, not to mention the possibility of trolls and other creatures once we get closer to our destination. So it is your choice if you want to continue with us, or I believe King Thranduil would allow you to stay here in his palace until Bard feels you are safe. Tell me, sweetheart, what would you like to do?" Fili inquired, extremely concerned about his friend.

"Fili, I want to go with you! How could I stay behind and worry about all those dangers of which you told me? If we are to die, I want us to be together. You belong with your brother and sister-in-law so I cannot ask you to stay with me, even though I feel sure you would. I will send word to my father that I shall remain in your company." They shared their first hug, short and sweet.

"I am so glad! You are right, I would remain here with you if you so desired, even though my loyalties between you and Kili and my mother would be torn. I shall strive to keep you as safe as possible. However, we must see if there is a small weapon you can carry, perhaps a dagger."

"That sounds lovely, even though I have no idea how to use anything like that. Dale is a fairly peaceful place and none of us are trained in the use of weaponry. Actually, they did not allow weapons when we lived in Lake-Town so I only learned to use knives in the kitchen!"

"I shall teach you to use whatever we find!" Fili would ensure his true love could protect herself; yes, he was beginning to realize she the right woman for him and that they were destined to marry when the two years of courtship were up. Loath to wait that long, he knew he had to respect Bard's wishes and realized that two years really is not that long in the life of a dwarf.

The quartet packed up and prepared to leave early the following morning. The Elvenking made sure they had enough food and anything else they might need along the way, for which they were quite grateful. Tauriel found an old dirk she never used and presented it to Sigrid. "This is my dirk, but you may have it. It served me well in my younger days. It is one of the finest weapons you could ask for, and, like any other elven blade, it glows blue when goblins are about."

"Thank you! It is lovely! Fili, will you show me how to use it?"

The dwarf complied, and Sigrid was a natural at handling it. Its leather-bound hilt fit her hand perfectly, and the blade, which was around a foot long, ended up the perfect length and gave it enough weight while also being light enough for her to wield with ease. She loved its simple design with the elvish patterns engraved on it. Fili and Sigrid would still work together to perfect her techniques along the way, but she knew enough by the time they were ready to leave to hold her own for a few minutes if worse came to worse.

The company set off along the elven path. With Tauriel among them, who knew the woods like the back of her hand, their journey seemed so simple when compared to Fili and Kili's previous trip through them with Bilbo and company. The dwarves wondered how they could have missed the path and lost it but were unconcerned about this now.

They spent days and days among the trees and saw some spiders, which thankfully avoided them. Sigrid was frightened of them at first, but Tauriel assured her she had killed more spiders than she could count and they would be safe with her amongst them.

However, the human soon grew tired of seeing nothing but trees all around her. As much as she loved the forest, she also liked to be able to see the sunlight and admire trees from a distance. She discovered once inside its bounds, it really was not a friendly sort of woods, but almost menacing due to its thick darkness (Sauron's minions had corrupted it and the elves would spend many years restoring it to its former glory). They were still several days from the edge of the forest, and thankfully the scenery changed slightly as they neared it. The Enchanted River provided Sigrid with new scenery, although she feared crossing it when she learned of its magical powers that would cause a person to go into a coma for several days. Fili and Kili told the women about Bombur's fall into the water, and Sigrid was worried but trusted her companions. They used the same little boat as before, and thankfully all four fit inside just fine. Needless to say, the human was relieved when everyone made it safely to the other side.

Once they were finally through the Forest of Mirkwood, they decided to stop at the Carrock and visit Beorn, thanking him for all his help. They had to travel along the banks of the Great River for a few days before they would arrive at the house of the skin-changer.

Once they arrived in the mid-afternoon, Kili nervously knocked at the door, wondering if they would find a man or a bear. The door opened and a tall man stepped out, a bit hairy and sweaty but kind-looking, in a wild sort of way. "Yes?" he asked.

"Hello, Beorn! Remember Fili and I from our stay with you a while back? We had Gandalf, eleven other dwarves, and a hobbit with us."

"Ah yes, I remember you. What do you want now?" he asked gruffly, for he did not care for visitors and disliked dwarves, even if he knew them.

Tauriel presented him with some fine elven wares. "Sir, here is a gift from Mirkwood. We were wondering if you would be so kind as to give us a place to rest for the night?" She smiled sweetly, hoping to win him over with some feminine charm and signalled for Sigrid to help her. She complied and also grinned at him, at the same time trying not to show her fear and wonder at the strange creature before her; he seemed so tall and scary when compared to dwarves or even elves.

"Thank you," he replied gruffly. "I suppose you can spend the night, although I ask that you bolt the doors tightly in the dark." Thus he graciously welcomed them and served them delicious honey from his own hives and sweet cream from his goats and cows.

They stayed with him two days, at his own insistence when he the womenfolk wrapped him around their little fingers, and then left quite refreshed.


	7. Chapter 7

**I really need to thank my new beta reader, Gigigue, for helping me! (She actually started with the previous chapter, so I owe that to her as well.) As always, thanks for reading & staying with me!**

7. Far Over the Misty Mountains

Their next long stay would be in Rivendell, many days travel from the Carrock. Tauriel had never been there because King Thranduil and Lord Elrond were not on the best of terms. She would not, however, harbour any negative feelings towards him just because her ruler did not like him. She did not need to worry about that just yet because they had to cross the Misty Mountains first. Lord Elrond, rather renowned for his hospitality and generosity, would likely welcome them in no matter what.

They crossed a bit further south than the dwarves had when they journeyed over and through so that they would better bypass the goblin caves. Unfortunately, the climb was steeper, longer, and rockier, but safety was more important than getting to a certain place at a certain time. They had no exact date at which they needed to be anywhere, and this fact made it easier for them to take their time and plan the best routes to reach their final destination. Consequently, the orcs had no idea they were there and the foursome arrived safely in Rivendell, much to everyone's relief.

Lord Elrond himself came out to greet them. "Fili, Kili! It is so good to see you both again! Welcome, Tauriel of Mirkwood. I have heard many wonderful things about how fine a warrior you are."

"Thank you, Lord Elrond. I have been looking forward to meeting you and seeing your beautiful city. And I would like you to know that Kili and I were wed a few weeks ago in Mirkwood."

"Congratulations! The two of you are a lovely couple. You are all welcome to stay as long as you like. And greetings to you, Sigrid of Dale. I see you have been through many trials in your short life and I hope your stay here refreshes you for the rest of your journey."

Sigrid, a bit embarrassed to be singled out by the elven lord, nervously expressed her gratitude to the kindly elf. "Thank you! I am sure I will enjoy my stay. Being with the elves in Mirkwood was such fun, although their kingdom is so much darker and more sombre than yours."

Elrond settled them into their rooms, draped in elven finery. Kili and Tauriel would share theirs, but Fili and Sigrid were placed in separate rooms just down the hall from each other. Sigrid, ecstatic to have an actual bed again, went to bed early and slept late the three weeks they remained there, except for her very last night. Those weeks seemed like only a few hours, full of feasting, dancing, listening to music, and even simply relaxing in the sun to read a good book or two. But after several weeks, it was time to move on to the next stage of their journey. Tauriel woke Sigrid up that early in the morning so they could leave as soon as possible.

"Sigrid!" The elf gently shook her. "Time to wake up! We shall be leaving soon."

The human sat up and yawned, her dark hair framing her face in a tumbled mess. "Ok. I'm awake."

"You still look half asleep to me!" Tauriel laughed. "Come on, Lord Elrond has a lovely breakfast planned and a certain dwarf is anxious to see you. Tell me, are feeling alright?"

Now more awake, Sigrid could give a coherent reply. "Yes, it is just that I am unaccustomed to walking so far! I am used to getting up early and staying up late in order to get all the work done around the house. I feel so much better now that I have gotten caught up on my sleep in this comfortable bed and have had such delicious and filling meals. You really think Fili is worried about me?"

"Yes, I can see it in his eyes. He loves you, you know, and wants to make sure you are safe, strong, and healthy." The elf kindly patted her hand and left the room to be with her own dwarf.

After a few minutes, Sigrid made her way to the dining area, where she found her three companions awaiting her. Fili patted the chair beside him, and she sat. "Good morning! Did you sleep well, dearest?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you! These elven beds are so luxurious, especially after sleeping on the hard ground for so long. How about you?"

"I did not want to leave my bed either! Yet at the same time I am rather anxious to return to mother and show you off!" Fili smiled at his love, who in turn blushed.

Sigrid turned away and helped herself to some fresh fruits and elven delicacies. All too soon the quartet finished their meal, packed up, and set out on their way. She almost did not want to go, but at the same time she wanted to meet her future husband's mother as well as see the Shire. She now knew Fili was her true love and wished she could plan her wedding, but she realized she had to respect her father and wait until the two years of courtship were up. Her seventeenth birthday would not come until they planned to be in the Blue Mountains and she hoped they would be able to celebrate it with the dwarves there, since she would be so far from her family. Homesickness tried to set in, but she pushed it away, reminding herself she belonged with Fili and her safety was more important than her close family ties.

The quartet was able to travel on the East Road because there was not much likelihood of danger; they had nothing of value to anyone, unless Esmerelda is counted. She was still in Dale, plotting Sigrid's demise, although the dwarves, human, and elf had almost forgotten the danger that lurked in their home. Yet the schoolteacher did not have any special powers and could not waylay them on their journey (unlike Saruman or other wizards, or the dark lord Sauron himself), so her plan would wait until the travellers returned. Besides, their incredibly long trip gave the schoolteacher plenty of time to devise the perfect plot.

Another two weeks on the road meant they closed in on the Shire, but still had about another week and a half to go if they were lucky. Weathertop, a large rocky formation, would provide their shelter for a night, much easier than trying to make a camp along the roadside. About a mile from the place, the dusk provided just enough reddish light to see their destination. "There, that is Weathertop," Tauriel pointed out to Sigrid.

At that moment, a fearsome growl sounded in front of them. Immediately, Fili, Kili, and Tauriel drew their weapons and prepared to face the danger, while Sigrid simply stood there, having no idea what was going on. An enormous brown bear raised on its hind legs to the side of the road, looking their way menacingly, as if daring them to try and pass.

"Sigrid," Tauriel stated slowly and calmly, "I need you to quietly dig in our packs and find something with which to make lots of noise. Perhaps we can scare him away instead of killing him." She did as she was told and came up with two cooking pots, which Tauriel took and clapped together furiously.

"Go away, Mr. Bear! We do not wish to harm you but simply to pass!" Much to Sigrid's surprise, the elf charged at the bruin, as did the brothers. Luckily for them the beast was not hungry and he soon ambled away to find a soft resting place for the night. The company breathed a collective sigh of relief and continued up to Weathertop. There they lit a large fire, which they knew would keep any other unwanted creatures away from them while they rested.

The path the travellers took went straight to Bree, where they stayed at the Prancing Pony Inn several days after crossing paths with the bear. Located along the Shire's edge, both men and hobbits were abundant in the small town, and the innkeeper told them he had special rooms just for the latter due to their small size. The lodgings were a bit shady in Sigrid's mind; she was not used to seeing so many males drinking and having fun where she was sheltered in her own home for so long. But she trusted her companions and knew they would not let anything unseemly happen. The innkeeper treated them kindly and made sure they took rooms further away from the merrymaking, sensing the young woman's discomfort.

"Don't pay them no mind, dearie. Most of the men that come through here would never hurt a woman, although each other is another story," he murmured to her, patting her hand. Then Fili draped his arm around her shoulders, which felt both natural and comforting.

"Thank you, sir! I shall try to ignore them. I suppose you can tell I haven't really been away from home before," she replied. She still sounded slightly nervous so Fili squeezed her shoulder protectively.

The innkeeper led them to their accommodations. Luckily for them, there were few other lodgers and they had a whole wing of the building to themselves and were able to take their respite undisturbed.


	8. Chapter 8

_**As always, thank you Gigigue for beta reading! She has been such a blessing & I am greatly indebted to her.**_

_**Note: I apologize if this chapter gets overly sappy. If you have tips on making my romantic scenes less sappy, I'd love to hear them! AS I would any other comments or suggestions you have, of course!**_

**8. Bag End**

Before Sigrid knew it, the four companions were entering the Shire five days after leaving the Prancing Pony; they had been able to stay in various other inns every night, a nice luxury compared to the rest of their travels. Once they entered Hobbiton, they searched for Bag End, quite easy to do as it was a rather infamous place at the moment. After inquiring around, they were quickly pointed in its direction. They found the responses rather humorous; it seemed many hobbits rather disapproved of Bilbo's trip and were quite upset that he returned, especially those who were close to the Sackville-Baggins' clan. Bilbo had returned home several weeks prior to the start of the foursome's journey and was now settled back into his old routines for the most part. He had grown rather frustrated, however, when he learned some of his most prized possessions had been disposed of, and had been rather busy trying to buy them back from the greedy hobbits. He suspected that nasty Lobelia Sackville-Baggins, his snooty and disliked relation, had taken some of his favourite objects and hidden them away where he would never see them again. Having some guests provided a break from his searching and he welcomed them with open arms.

"Fili, Kili, what a surprise! Tell me, is it common for dwarves to show up unexpected at hobbits' doors?" He laughed as he greeted his old friends with playful and hearty slaps on the back.

The brothers joined in the merriment. "We are trying not to make a habit of it!" Kili chuckled, fondly recalling their very first meeting. "And you did invite us to come back at any time; you told us tea is at four, although I know we have missed it for today. Bilbo, this is my wife Tauriel of Mirkwood, and this is Fili's girlfriend Sigrid, Bard's eldest daughter."

Bilbo clapped Kili on the back. "Ha, I knew you and that elf were destined for each other! But I never expected this relationship between Sigrid and Fili! How could I have missed that?" he pondered. "Anyway, do come in! I have plenty of room for you all to stay as long as you like, although I may run out of food if any more dwarves come!" Here he winked at the brothers and they knew he was just teasing.

Sigrid had enjoyed all the elven food in both Mirkwood and Rivendell, yet when she first tasted hobbit food, she was reminded of her home. The halflings had meals that made a person comfortable, and she found it helped her to sit back, rest, and enjoy herself. She felt so welcome and was loathe to leave their hospitality. On their journey, she had lost some weight and was quite tired. For the first time since setting out from home, she truly began to feel herself again, even if her homesickness still plagued her from time to time. Her stay in Rivendell had certainly refreshed her and she would not have traded it for anything in the world, but the weeks it took to get to the Shire seemed longer, perhaps because the trail was much easier and sometimes felt as though it dragged on and would never end.

Fili had noticed his sweetheart seemed to go downhill after leaving Elrond's marvellous hospitality and had become rather worried. He took Bilbo aside privately to discuss the matter. "Bilbo, my dear Sigrid seems to need some time to recover; I'm afraid the journey has been rather hard on her. Would you mind if we stay with you for a week so she can get back to her normal self? She already seems to have blossomed overnight with just one of your delicious meals."

"Stay as long as you like! You certainly have a treasure there and it wouldn't do to have her getting sick on you, especially not so far from her home." Bilbo had sensed the same thing about Sigrid and was more than happy to have company who was not curious about his adventures and didn't judge him for leaving his home so unexpectedly, and returning even more surprisingly. In fact, some of his "friends" might have preferred to have him dead, eaten alive by a dragon; it seemed much more exciting that way!

"Thank you, Bilbo! You are so kind. I shall tell the others our plans." He immediately set out to find his companions. Kili and Tauriel were out strolling together in the garden and he did not wish to disturb them, so he went through the hobbit hole and eventually found his love in the library.

"Sigrid, sweetheart, how would you like to rest here for a week?" he inquired.

"I would enjoy that so much!" she replied, throwing her arms around him.

"I've noticed the journey has been hard on you and I want you to recover a bit more before we try to find my mother." He looked deeply into her eyes, his concern and love for her rather overwhelming.

"Yes, Fili, I have had a hard time. I have never done this much walking in my entire life! I will admit my feet have been hurting and I am quite tired, although Rivendell was a blessing I shall not forget."

He brushed some stray hairs aside. "That is exactly why we need to stay here and let you rest. We knew when we brought you that you weren't as used to this lifestyle as the rest of us are, but I selfishly wanted you here by my side. I'm sorry."

"Oh Fili!" Sigrid cried, so touched by his care for her that she could hardly contain her excitement. "Of course I forgive you! I wanted to be with you as well."

"You have never thought about how strange it is for a dwarf and a human to be together, have you?"

"I never gave that a second thought. Who cares if you are a dwarf and I a human? I have found we really are not that different, and neither are elves or hobbits. The only thing that matters is that we love each other and will care for each other the rest of our days. However, I did realize that the lifespan of humans is shorter than that of dwarves – does this bother you?" Suddenly concerned he might reject her, she looked down, fearing an answer she did not want.

"Sigrid, Sweetheart," he crooned, lifting her chin with his finger, "I care not that you will not live as long as a dwarf woman would. Any number of years that I have with you I will cherish. Tauriel feels the same way about Kili; he will eventually pass on, leaving her a widow. Yet she is willing to give a part of her life to him because she loves him. Sigrid, I love you and how when our two years of courtship are up you will allow me to marry you."

"I love you too and would be honoured to marry you as soon as my father allows it."

Then they shared their very first kiss, tender, long, and passionate. Sigrid's mind wandered to what their children would look like: would they be shorter than most humans? Would their daughters have excess facial hair like dwarf women? Would they look more like her, or Fili, or both? Then she shook herself. "Sigrid!" she yelled at herself in her mind. "You are not married yet so don't let your mind go there!" So she was the one to break the kiss, afraid her mind would go too far.

The couple looked into each other's eyes lovingly, still with their arms wrapped around each other. Fili had been having similar thoughts and even though he hated that their kiss had ended, he knew it was best for both of them. They did not want to fully break apart just yet, however, so Sigrid snuggled against his chest.

"Sigrid, sweetheart, get some rest now. Our week will be up before we know it." The dwarf released her, and she reluctantly stepped out of his strong embrace, a chill sweeping over her as his warmth disappeared.

"Alright!" she answered sweetly. "Goodnight, my love!"

"Goodnight!" With that, Fili left the room before his emotions could overcome him. He, as a man of honour, could not bring himself to compromise their integrity.

The next day Sigrid slept extremely late and woke up with a terrible headache. Tauriel knocked on the door. "Come in," she sniffed, sounding congested. Then she coughed.

The elf cautiously opened the door. "Are you alright?" She hurried over to the bed and checked her forehead. "I think you have a fever. I'll be back. You rest. Would you like me to send Fili in?"

Alarmed, she shook her head. "No! Please, I don't want him to see me like this. He's already worried enough."

"If you say so, but I won't hide it from him that you're sick, if he asks." Leaving the room, Tauriel consulted with Bilbo and he gave her some feverfew to make into a tea along with some peppermint. He also fixed some slices of toast with a smorgasbord of jams, jellies, and even marmalade to put on them, insisting that food is the answer to just about any problem. Just then, Fili walked in and noticed his sister-in-law about to take a tray of food to someone. "Is Kili sick? Is his leg acting up again?" he inquired, concerned the orc poison could possibly still be in his brother's blood and make him ill yet again.

"No, he's fine. Sigrid has a cold."

"Will she be alright?"

"I think so. She just needs to rest some. I think the journey has affected her more than she's let on."

"May I take the tray to her?"

"She doesn't really want you to see her like that, but you can if you want..."

"No, you'd better go on. I'll see if Kili wants to explore Hobbiton with me." The elf smiled and went on her way.

Unbeknownst to anyone, a certain dark lady had just found her way to the Shire. After staying and plotting in Dale for a while, she felt the urge to be close to the handsome blonde dwarf and finally gave way, locating a fast horse and charging off after her true love. Her sheer determination brought her through the dark forest of Mirkwood, through the Misty Mountains, and all the way to Hobbiton. After the locals rudely stared at her, she marched up to a rather rotund man who could not control his shocked expression. "You there! I need to find out where a master Bilbo Baggins lives. Please direct me to his home at once, and tell your friends to quit staring at me. Haven't you ever seen a human before?"

He hemmed and hawed. "He lives at Bag End, ma'am. And no, we are not accustomed to humans coming into our villages." He pointed her in the right direction and described the luxurious accommodations, so she thanked him and headed on her way. After carefully hiding her horse, she walked the rest of the way and cautiously peaked in the windows. She noticed the threesome in the kitchen and overheard some of their conversation. So, the insolent little girl had gotten sick! Humph. Couldn't even get two-thirds of the way to the Blue Mountains, while Esmerelda made it all the way to the Shire by herself. Surely that would help Fili to see what a good catch she was!

The blonde dwarf moved to go outside, so she quickly moved to the door she expected him to come out. After adjusting her garments, she sidled up to him. "Good day, Master Dwarf of Erebor!"

A bit startled, he took a moment to reply. "Good morning! What are you doing here?"

"Just taking a break from my teaching. As much as I enjoy it, one needs to get away from it all every once in a while. If I had known you were headed the same direction, we could have travelled together!" She batted her eyes at him.

"I suppose so…Did you travel all this way by yourself?"

"Yes!" She beamed. "It really was nice to be alone for the first few days, but after that I got bored with my own company. Do you ever plan to go back to Dale?"

"Yes, once I find my mother. But that will take much too long for you to come along."

"I suppose you are right. But where are you headed right now? We could visit a bit on your way…"she smiled and slipped her arm through his, which he immediately removed.

The dwarf sighed. "My brother and I are going to walk around Hobbiton a bit. We didn't get much of a chance to explore the last time we were here, and now that we've befriended Bilbo both of us are anxious to meet more of these amazing hobbits."

"Oh, that sounds lovely!"

Fabulous. The flirty schoolteacher had just attached herself to Fili and he did not like that at all. But how could he get rid of her and tell her he was already taken, with no hope of changing his mind? Was she just trying to be friendly, or did she want something more than friendship?

Just then, Kili came from wandering in Bilbo's garden. "Fili! Ready to explore? Oh, good day, ma'am!" He noticed Esmerelda and smiled, although his brother detected confusion in his expression.

"Good morning! I'm coming with you two! Fili invited me along," she purred, lying through her teeth.

"Alright…" he stammered as they headed off.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Reply to Guest (And everyone else too!): I am so sorry it has taken so long to put this next chapter up! This story has had major issues with incongruity and silliness on my part, thus has needed much revision. I am trying to get things straightened out later so hopefully subsequent chapters will come faster. However, I'm not even going to give you an estimate as to how long it shall be before I get the next chapter up :/ (Seriously, I hope weekly or at least every two weeks, but no promises).**_

_**Author's Note: I appreciate feedback, any kind!**_

_**And one last thing: Thank you Gigigue for beta-reading! She points out many things I don't see on my own and I hope it's much improved through all her work once I finally get it to you.**_

**9. The Final Stage***

While Tauriel remained unhappy about Esmerelda's presence, she still could not figure out why she didn't like the woman and refused to trust her. Usually her elvish instincts were right about others, and it bothered her not to know what was going on inside the woman's head. She did notice the schoolteacher using the time Sigrid was sick to her advantage, spending as much time with Fili as he would allow, which did not please him in the slightest. He was too nice to tell her to go away.

Sigrid recovered after a few days of Bilbo's kind care; he knew of many different teas and foods that helped ease her time of illness. Thus, just as Fili said, the week at Bag End passed by all too quickly. All four travellers enjoyed relaxing and having fun, so they were well-rested and prepared for the last leg of their journey. Even Sigrid was feeling much more like herself and now had a healthy glow about her instead of pallor, much to Fili's relief.

Bilbo was loath to see them go, yet at the same time was getting a bit tired of all the comments from his neighbours. They thought it very strange to have all those house guests and kept on trying to peek in the windows at them and consequently he had to keep the curtains and shutters closed most of the time. Not that he cared what others thought anymore – he had lost much of his respectability by gallivanting off with the dwarves, as the other hobbits quaintly put it. Rather, the kindly hobbit was concerned for his company and wanted them to feel welcome instead of like some sort of weird spectacle.

"Please, when you are finished visiting your mother, come back to Bag End! It would be a pleasure to have all of you and you are welcome at any time."

"Thank you so much for your wonderful hospitality! You would almost put an elf to shame!" Tauriel replied for all of them.

After making sure everyone carried sacks of food, the hobbit hugged each of his guests and bid them a fond farewell and safe travels. He stood by his door, pipe in hand wafting smoke rings into the air, as he watched the travellers disappear beyond the horizon. Relief and sadness filled him. As happy as he was to be alone again, he had had so little time to himself the past year (excepting the many weeks he spent fending for himself within the halls of the Elvenking) that he hardly knew what to do with himself.

Once the foursome were outside the city limits of Hobbiton, Esmerelda popped up on her horse. "Good day! Are you all headed to the Blue Mountains?"

"Yes," Kili answered, miffed to see the annoying woman once again; he knew how much his brother wanted to get away from her.

"I really wish I could join you! Will it take long to get there from here?"

"I expect it to take a good week or more, and even then we are not sure the exact location of the dwarf encampment."

The schoolteacher sighed. "I suppose I cannot join you, then. I really should head back to my students. I've probably been away too long already. Well, I do hope you find your mother!" She rode off, disappointed that she'd made no headway with Fili at all. However, instead of heading back towards Dale, she once again followed the small company, unable to let Fili go too far from her just yet. He needed to go back to the Lonely Mountain, the only place she was really comfortable and knew what she was doing. A sly grin turned up the corners of her lips as her horse plodded along. She knew exactly what would cause him to return home, and she was the person to make that happen. Dismounting from her steed, she searched among the large variety of green plants and colourful flowers. At last she found the purple-tinted, nine-pointed and almost snowflake-shaped leafy vegetation with its ashen fluff on the rounded seed pods: castor beans. A handkerchief held carefully in her hand, she picked six beans and folded them away in her bags. The ricin laced within their skins was the perfect solution to her problem. Now to set the plan into action!

The foursome was on the road again, closing in on Ered Luin, the Blue Mountains. The terrain, relatively flat between the Shire and their destination, meant they did not expect it to take very long. The distance was quite great, however, and they had a river to cross between the two locations. It could, perhaps, take three weeks to arrive at their destination. To complicate matters a bit more, they were not quite sure of the exact location of the dwarves there and expected it could take a few extra days to find them, perhaps even a few weeks if things did not go as well as they hoped. Fili and Kili especially were keyed up with the anticipation of seeing their mother again. Yet they would also be bearing the news of her brother Thorin's death, which they dreaded telling her but knew she needed to hear the news; it likely wouldn't surprise her anyway.

Sixteen days later, the Blue Mountains were within sight. Fili stopped and stared, then gently grabbed Sigrid's arm and pointed her towards the high, rocky peaks. "Those, my dear, are the Blue Mountains, Ered Luin! Are they not gorgeous?"

"Fili! How beautiful! And the mists do make them look blue! I have never seen anything so lovely, not even Rivendell." She scooted closer into a friendly side-hug.

Kili was in a similar situation with Tauriel when Fili proclaimed, "Let us be off to find our mother; she is likely worried sick and the sooner we get to her the better. And we must still cross the River Lhûn somehow."

"Right. Off to Ered Luin!" Kili agreed.

The weather was warm enough that the party decided to ford the river in its shallowest place, which ended up being shoulder deep for the shortest of them, Sigrid. They tied a rope between the four of them, just in case someone lost his or her footing. Fili paved the way across, followed by his brother, then Sigrid, and Tauriel brought up the rear. His feet searched for solid footing, thus the going was slow. However, his footsteps remained firm and stable, providing a safe path for the rest of his companions. A collective sigh of relief released from every person when they made it to the other side in safety, rather wet but happy and even closer to the Blue Mountains.

They journeyed on another week and finally arrived at the dwarf encampment. A scout met them and after reuniting with Fili and Kili, and being introduced to Tauriel and Sigrid, directed them to Dís's tent.

As soon as they located it, the dwarves made themselves known and walked in. The elf and human stayed outside, wishing their lovers to have some privacy before more introductions could be made.

Dís was a frailer version of herself than her sons remembered. Her once strong and youthful body now hunched over, and many lines had formed on her face that neither of her sons remembered being as pronounced as they were now. However, she jumped out of her bed as soon as she heard their voices.

"You came back!" she cried. "I missed you boys so much! I was beginning to fear your homecoming was not meant to be! Fili, you took care of Kili!"

"I promised I would return, Mother, and I did! Thanks to my big brother's guardianship, and that of Uncle Thorin, and pretty much all our other companions." Kili hugged her, extremely glad to see her again, then stepped aside so his brother could do likewise. His mind went back to the night when he told this promise to Tauriel and triumph flashed in his eyes that he had made it good at last! "I have some bad news and some good news…" he started off, unsure how to tell her of her brother's death.

"Yes? The bad news first, to get it out of the way."

"Mother, Uncle Thorin was killed in the Battle of the Five Armies – I'll fill you in about that later. Cousin Dain became the King of Erebor since Fili and I did not desire to rule."

"Oh, no! Did my brother suffer long?" As disheartened as she was, the old dwarf held little surprise at this revelation; Thorin had always been rather aggressive and did not know when to give in or ask for help if he fought.

"He did for a while, I am afraid to say; at least that is what we were told. Fili and I were unconscious at the time from our own injuries –" he paused when he saw her eyebrows raise in concern, "We are perfectly well now so no need to worry. I'm so sorry, Mother! Fili and I tried our best to protect him, but there were too many foes. We were separated toward the end and were not anywhere near him when he received his fatal injuries." Kili's voice became choked with emotion and he lowered his gaze, regretting that he could not save his uncle.

"There, there. I know you fought your best and did all you could. He was a tough old thing and likely would have been killed by some other foul creature before long. I do not blame either of you for his death. I never expected to see him again anyway. But why did you two renounce the throne? I thought Fili always wanted to rule the Lonely Mountain once Thorin was gone."

"That was a childhood dream, mother. I could not bear the thought of ruling after my uncle died such a tragic death, and I would want Kili to share in my duties as well. You know how that would work out!" Fili smiled and lightly punched his brother's arm, and Kili returned the good-natured gesture.

Dís chuckled. "I know! Wait, you told me you also have good news?"

"Yes! Both of us do! Tauriel, Sigrid, please come in!" the dwarves said together, and Dís raised her eyebrows and widened her eyes at the mention of two female names.

The elf and human walked in. "Good day! 'Tis a pleasure to meet you!" the women stated graciously.

Dís was confused; after all, dwarves and elves, while not necessarily enemies, had as little contact as possible, although both had passable interactions with humans on occasion. "Good day! Who are you two?" And what were her sons doing with such strange companions?

"Mother, this is my love Sigrid." Fili presented his future bride. "I met her in Dale and we fell in love. I could not leave bear to leave her there alone and selfishly axed her to join us. Her father kindly allowed her to come with us, as you can see. We have been granted a two-year courtship, and we have his blessing to marry at the end of this time."

The dwarf lady, ecstatic, drew Sigrid into a big hug. "I am happy to meet you! I have desired for my boys to settle down for several years now, but I never dreamed this mad journey of theirs would lead to romance! Welcome to the family!" Although she found it odd that he had chosen such a bride, she eagerly embraced the young woman into the family, the love of her son being enough to gain her affection as well.

While happy to see her future mother-in-law, Sigrid was also a bit taken aback. The dwarves had failed to inform her that all of their kind sport beards, both men and women, and the women rarely shave! Seeing a female with so much facial hair was a new experience; the young lady tried her best to hide her surprise yet felt she failed. Fili noticed her discomfort and winked at her, which assured her everything would be fine. Besides, she had been welcomed so warmly that she could not help but love her future mother-in-law already.

Tauriel, on the other hand, knew quite a bit about dwarves and their somewhat strange customs. She definitely had been more prepared than her travelling companion and gently squeezed Sigrid's hand, a silent way of telling her she was there for her and knew this dwarf lady would accept them.

"And Mother, I also have a surprise." Kili pulled Tauriel closer. "This is Tauriel, my beautiful wife!"

"What!?"

"Yes, we were married a few months ago in her home of Mirkwood. We simply could not wait until we got here to Ered Luin!"

"My Kili, married! Come here, sweetie." She motioned to Tauriel and hugged her also. "I am so glad my son has found you. I can tell the love between you is strong and lasting."

Dís had learned it was better not to harbour ill feelings towards other races, particularly elves and men, since most of them were on the good side. She knew she would not be around much longer and was grateful to see her sons settling down. However, in all her days she never would have guessed her family would include an elf, especially knowing how Thorin felt about them.

"Mother, Tauriel, I must admit something to you both." Kili's' face held a grave expression.

"Yes?" they both asked at once, a bit anxious of what he might say.

"Well, when all fifteen of us stayed at Rivendell the first time, I have to admit I really did not fancy those elf women. Sure, I knew their own people thought them beautiful, but you, Mother, know that I have always preferred our own people. Any self-respecting dwarf likes a stocky woman with a beard, rough around the edges and all that." He turned to look at his lady, surprise showing in her eyes. "However, when I first saw you, Amralime," he slipped into the dwarvish endearment, his own language flooding back to him as he was surrounded by his people once more, "I knew there was something different. I no longer felt odd about elves! Just something about you changed my mind. Perhaps it is because I could tell you are a great warrior, something I admire greatly in women. You changed my mind about true beauty, and as we've been married these months I have found you to be the most beautiful of all."

"Kili!" his mother and wife exclaimed in tandem again, the former in shock and embarrassment and the latter in sheer love and admiration.

"Mother Dís, it is fine, really. I admire my Kili for admitting this and it only makes me love him all the more. I also must confess I found dwarves a bit strange at first; among my people no one has facial hair! But I find a beard makes a man look rugged and handsome, especially your precious son!"

The dwarf lady laughed, clearly liking her new daughter-in-law. "My, my! What shall I do with you all?

However, I am afraid life is not all fun and games. Fili, Kili, may I speak with you boys in private again?" Turning to their loves, she asked, "Begging your pardon, ladies!"

"Yes, Mother!" her sons replied, and the womenfolk smiled and took their leave, understanding the need for the three to have some alone time.

"Oh my sweet boys! I shall not be in this world much longer. Having both of you and my brother Thorin gone so long has wreaked havoc on my body. I have not been well since you left and sense that my time is near."

"Mother, no!" Fili did not want to hear that his beloved mother was dying; he'd already seen too much dwarvish blood shed on the battlefield and another loss seemed much too soon.

"Fili, please do not worry about me! I can now rest in peace. I know you boys are safe and that you have good women at your sides to tend you until your last days. You do not need me anymore, and neither does Thorin."

The dwarf brothers were sad but knew their mama was right, as usual. Then Kili excused himself to talk with Tauriel. Fili stayed with Dís a few more minutes, then took his leave. Yet about a half hour later, Kili and Tauriel reappeared.

"Mother, Tauriel and I have some more good news we want to share."

"Do not just stand there; tell me!" she demanded.

Tauriel stepped forward, taking the dwarf lady's hands in both of hers. "Naneth Dís, I am bearing your son's child!" They embraced, and the eyes of the grandmother-to-be shone with happy tears.

"I'm so happy for you! My Kili, a father! Tell me, when will the child be born?"

"A bit less than a year from now if all goes well! And if we have a daughter, she shall be named in memory of you, and our son after your brother Thorin."

Kili smiled in approval at his dear wife. Then a group hug was due and all three gladly obliged.

*** Note: This chapter has some features inspired by a pin on Pinterest. It's a really sad & sweet lament about how Fili took care of Kili & no one expected them both to die, which is why only Kili promised to return to his mother. The idea was so good that I felt I had to include that in here somewhere!**


	10. Chapter 10

_**Dear guest, I am sorry in the delay for this chapter! My beta reader has a lot on her plate & hasn't been able to get to this chapter for me yet, so it's unedited by anyone other than myself. I plan to update it once she is able to look it over for me, so please check it out for changes soon. Also, I plan to make some small changes in the first seven chapters or so. Obviously nothing that will affect the story, but hopefully it will make it flow a bit better and not be as rushed.**_

_**And please leave me some reviews! What do you like about this story?**_

**10. A Sad Departure**

The four traveling companions remained in Ered Luin for several days. Sigrid's birthday came, and they all had a huge celebration in Dís's tent. Fili asked some of his kin make her a special dwarf cake and happily presented it to her. "This is a dwarf delicacy, a cake with poppy seeds and fruit. I hope you enjoy it! I wasn't sure what kind of treats you like."

"Fili! Thank you!" she cried happily, hugging him as soon as he set her gift down on the table. He handed her a knife, and she slowly cut it into pieces, trying hard not to mar its rugged beauty too much. Outside, its topping consisted of a pale shade a pink, which Kili said came from a certain edible plant native to the area. Inside, bits of fruits and poppy seeds popping out in tiny bursts of colour amongst the pale, creamy shade of the cake part. When Sigrid took the first bite of her treat, her eyes closed in sheer rapture as she savoured the sweet and sour fruity juiciness, and Fili laughed at her enjoyment. "I see we have found you a new favourite food!"

"Yes, I love it even more than all we had at Rivendell or even Bag End!"

Everyone else dug into their slices, although none had quite the experience that the lone human did as she relished the treat.

But joy in life was about to fade some for two certain dwarf brothers. Now that Dís finally had her two sons back home, she felt she could succumb to her consumption and die in peace. She knew she would not live long even before their return. However, having them near perked her up considerably and gave her a new will to live as long as possible. She used her final days to reunite with her boys, as she still referred to them, and to get to know her daughters-in-law better.

A week after their arrival, Esmerelda made a special pot of stew and under the cover of night brought it to Dís's tent. She'd watched it several hours and was fairly certain everyone else had left. Her feet made no noise on the soft grass and she made sure her voice was quiet as she sought entry. "Mother Dís? It's Sigrid. May I come in?" The dark lady tried to sound as much like her nemesis as possible.

"Yes, my child, I'm not asleep yet."

A risky move but one she must make, the schoolteacher boldly entered the tent and breathed a sigh of relief that it would just be the two of them; her faithful watching had paid off and they were the only ones in the shelter now. She walked over to the pallet, the light of a solitary candle only enough to make out the prostrate form on the makeshift bed. "I made some stew for you. Think you can eat some?"

"That's lovely of you. I'll try a few bites. I just haven't felt like eating much lately."

The dwarf woman took the bowl of stew and obligingly ate several large spoonfuls. "This is delicious. Thank you. Now I know you can properly feed my son!" she smiled.

"It was nothing. And you know I love your son very dearly. I'd do anything for him." Esmerelda's voice dripped with sweetness.

The two sat in silence as Dís ate, then she sat back and handed the bowl to the lady she thought was Sigrid, never catching on to the masquerade. "I can't eat anymore. I'm sorry. I know you worked hard on it."

"It's fine. You ate enough to satisfy me! I shall just take my leave and let you rest. Goodnight!" With that Esmerelda left, knowing the dwarf would be dead by morning. She'd put the castor beans in the stew and when she checked the remaining contents of the bowl, she found them all missing. Good! That would get rid of one person! Now to only dispense with everyone else and get inside that mountain!

The next morning Kili walked into the tent to find his mother slumped over in an unnatural position. He rushed to her side and discovered her cold, lifeless body to be stiff with rigour mortis, a bit of dried blood at the corners of her mouth. Clasping her hand, tears formed in his eyes and his throat became tight; no words could form in his mouth. He knew this day would come but hadn't expected it so soon. Why did losing his mother seem different than the battles he'd been in? It wasn't as if he'd never seen death before. Yet having his mother gone broke his heart, as though someone reached into his chest and squeezed it, causing a lack of oxygen and consequently that feeling one gets when one can't breathe. Except his heart rather than lungs had no air, the life juice that supported it suddenly cut off. Fili arrived on the scene and gasped at the sight. He embraced his brother and they mourned in silence for a long while. The death of his father had been enough of a shock, but at least it was during a battle and not exactly unexpected. He never thought his mother could be gone this soon.

Then, Tauriel and Sigrid arrived at the door and called out. "Are you alright in there? May we come in?"

Fili choked out a heart-wrenching, "Come in."

The womenfolk cautiously entered and immediately rushed to their dwarves' sides. Sigrid had no words but simply wrapped herself around Fili and let her tears flow as she tried to comfort him. Her future mother-in-law had been so kind in welcoming her and she'd hoped they could at least exchange letters once she made it back home to Dale. However, that was not meant to be.

Tauriel tried to comfort Kili as well and allowed him to stay silent. There really were no words to say at such a time as this. At last, as if one, the four got up and the elf made a suggestion. "Fili, Kili, if you want to go somewhere and think about things, Sigrid and I can care for the situation here. I am truly sorry."

A mist formed in Kili's eyes. "Thank you, Meleth. I don't think I can handle this tent any longer."

With that the elf and human shooed their men away and got to work on preparing the corpse for burial. Sigrid had never done such a thing before and would have been sick had not Tauriel handled things calmly yet firmly expected her to aid in the task.

The dwarf lady's sons buried her in regal dwarf fashion and remained there in the encampment to mourn a few more days. The dwarves were grateful to have their womenfolk there to grant them comfort in their sorrow. Then they decided it was time to go back to Erebor and help their cousin Dain rebuild the once-great kingdom.

O_O

Three weeks later they arrived in Hobbiton for the second time and went straight to Bilbo's home of Bag End, reaching their destination just in time for tea at precisely four-o'clock, exactly as the kindly hobbit had invited the dwarves to do long ago in Erebor when he left for home.

"Welcome back!" he greeted them as he opened the door. "I trust your journey went well?"

"Yes, it did, thank you! Unfortunately, our dear mother passed away a few days after we were reunited with her," Fili answered, the grief still fresh in his mind.

"I'm sorry, Fili and Kili." Memories of his own parents' deaths flashed inside his head and he understood the pain the dwarves experienced. Perhaps some good hobbit hospitality would help. "Please come in and have some refreshments; I just finished baking a loaf of bread so it will be nice and hot." He gave them both a kindly hug, recalling the death of his own parents and wanting to show them he remained their faithful friend.

"That would be lovely. Thank you!" This time Tauriel replied.

Hence they went into the hobbit hole once again, quite grateful for Bilbo's hospitality. He insisted they stay several more days, and they complied.

Once again the company headed on their way towards their new home of Erebor. This time they travelled through the Old Forest and were greeted by a certain man, Tom Bombadil.

"Hello, my dear travellers! It has been a long time since I have seen dwarves and elves keeping company," he greeted them, appearing quite friendly.

"Good day, sir! I am Tauriel, and this is my husband Kili, his brother Fili, and our friend, as well as Fili's fiancée, Sigrid."

"Yes, I know, my dear friends. Most people call me Tom, Tom Bombadil. However, the elves call me Iarwain Ben-adar, the dwarves Forn, and some men Orald."

Now all the companions recognised this strange yet kind man. "'Tis a pleasure to meet you," Tauriel again spoke for all.

"Thank you! Now I should love to have to you come to my house for the night! My wife, Goldberry, enjoys visitors but we do not get them often."

"Are you sure it would not be a great imposition on you?"

"Nonsense! It would do us both good to have some young souls about."

The foursome agreed to stay the night and had a lovely time. Tom had a wonderful sense of humour and so many stories! They could have stayed years just listening to him. Goldberry enjoyed singing her tales, quite a delightful entertainer. Her voice, soprano, was melodic like the rain softly falling on a thatched roof on a midsummer day. They heard numerous delightful accounts of when Middle Earth was much younger. The ladies especially enjoyed the saga of how Tom and Goldberry met and married.

Tom Bombadil was a happy creature, always singing and humming, just enjoying life in general. His joy spread to the other four so they felt the happiest they had in quite a long time. Fili and Kili, in particular, felt their spirits lighten; they had experienced too much fighting and death lately. It was nice to remember life is not all about war and peace is preferable, although not always possible.

The couple asked them to stay longer, and they agreed three days would be fine, then they would really have to be on their way. Kili had become a bit worried about Tauriel, since she was expecting. He had never been a father before and had no idea how pregnancy worked with elves, but she told him the gestation period is about a year and she had ten more months to go. She insisted she felt fine and was not in the least tired. Kili decided to simply let the matter go, at least until she was further along.

Fili and Sigrid also were getting a bit anxious to get back; they were not even married yet, and Kili and Tauriel made them long for such a relationship and children of their own.

Despite the slight unrest in their hearts, they all felt well-rested and satisfied after their stay with Tom and Goldberry ended. In fact, they hated to leave but knew they needed to get back home. The couple made sure they were well-provisioned before sending them on their way, and all regretted parting ways.

The quartet made their way to Rivendell, quite uneventful. Lord Elrond welcomed his guests and even offered to perform the wedding ceremony for Fili and Sigrid. Yet they decided to wait until their return to Dale; Bard, as well as Sigrid's brother and sister, would be extremely disappointed if they were not invited to the wedding. Although Sigrid had grown to love the elves and their culture, she preferred her own and desired a human wedding, with which Fili concurred. Additionally, their two-year courtship had not reached its end. They felt they needed to respect Bard's wishes and wait until that time was up, which would be fairly soon after they finally went back home to Dale.

Several days were spent in this lovely elven dwelling, full of relaxation. During that time, dwarf and elf-ruler had a private conversation. Kili knew Elrond had the gift of foresight and asked about Tauriel, his worry for her growing as they were only about halfway done with their journey, and that the easier part as far as geography is concerned.

"Lord Elrond, I am a bit worried about my wife, Tauriel. Can you tell me if her pregnancy will be affected by all this travelling?"

The elf lord smiled. "Kili, she will be just fine! Elves are hardier than you think. Tauriel is strong and as she told you, this early in her condition exercise is good for her and will not harm your child. I would suggest trying to get to the Lonely Mountain a couple of months before she is due, something with which you should have no issue."

"Thank you! Do you know if we have a son or daughter?"

"A son, and I daresay you shall name him after your uncle Thorin. He was a brave dwarf."

"That he was."

With that, the dwarf was satisfied and returned to his wife, who was resting in their room.

A few days later, the company was off again. The journey got rougher here, as the next step would be to once again cross the Misty Mountains.

O_O

Meanwhile, Esmerelda experienced a huge rush of fear as she realized what she'd just done. She had never killed a person before. What if someone found out she was the one who'd advanced Dís's death? Her heart had pounded so wildly when she overheard Kili finding her dead body that she'd raced to her horse and galloped away. The mad dash towards Dale continued save only a few necessary breaks for her horse's sake. Consequently, she arrived home in record time.

Once she'd been back a few days, she calmed a bit and was better able to process her journey's events. Anger radiated from her green eyes, her brow furrowed as she pondered and plotted revenge. Her advances towards Fili in Hobbiton met such a cold reaction. Surely now that his mother was dead he'd have to turn to someone for comfort and hopefully become more vulnerable to those who seemed to care. However, she still had the small matter of that stupid girl who seemed determine to marry him. She knew Sigrid would not willingly give Fili up, and he was obviously very affectionate towards her. She suspected he was that upright, one-woman type, not a ladies' man. Thus she concluded murdering Sigrid seemed the best option, fairly simple and straightforward. Already she'd made one kill; what was another in the life of someone so desperate for power? But how to accomplish this task without being suspected or caught? Bard loved his children and would hunt the schoolteacher down if he suspected her. On top of that, dwarves were well-known for their expertise in fighting, some of which she had witnessed first-hand in the terror of the Battle of the Five Armies. Things did not bode well for her if a dwarf happened to be near when she executed her plan. This killing spree would have to be carefully planned so that no one would know or guess she had a hand in the matter. Having an elf on the dwarf's side was not going to help matters either; Esmerelda knew little about elves but felt certain they were very perceptive creatures, thus she was worried the female elf might find her out and prosecute. Not to mention Tauriel seemed to be a friend of the ruthless Elvenking, whose wrath most people greatly feared. Esmerelda was no exception, finding Thranduil one of the most intimidating persons she had ever seen. Extra caution was needed in this endeavour to assure she would not fail.

She also hoped deviously that ill had befallen the two dwarves, elf, and that certain young lady whom she hated. She especially wanted Sigrid to get sick again and die or experience some great tragedy so she would not return; such an event would make Esmerelda's plan much easier! AS for Kili and Tauriel, she couldn't care less about them one way or the other as long as they did not prevent her from gaining control of Erebor. But her only interest was Fili. He was her only chance at becoming the dark ruler she always dreamed of being, a way to get inside that mountain and overthrow King Dain.

Back in Dale, the dark schoolteacher hoped deviously that ill had befallen the two dwarves, elf, and that certain young lady whom she hated. She especially wanted Sigrid to fall ill and die or experience some great tragedy so she would not return; such an event would make Esmerelda's plan much easier! She really did not care whether Kili and Tauriel survived or not. Her only interest was Fili. He was her only chance at becoming the dark ruler she always dreamed of being, a way to get inside that mountain and overthrow King Dain.

Suddenly, a spiderling from Mirkwood wandered its way across Esmerelda's window. An evil grin popped up on her face as a plot formed in her mind, and she eagerly let the creature inside, rubbing her hands together in anticipation.


End file.
